THUNDER BAY — As the tourism sector continues to rebound following shutdowns during the pandemic, the city is hoping to attract more visitors in 2023 and a significant anniversary of one of the area's biggest tourist attractions is getting the spotlight.
On Friday, Tourism Thunder Bay, in partnership with Fort William Historical Park, released the 2023 Thunder Bay Experience Guide.
“It is a big part of our annual tourism plan,” said Paul Pepe, manager of tourism Thunder Bay with the Community Economic Development Commission. “It’s a great tool, it has editorial stories and it helps people whet their appetite about Thunder Bay and helps people plan their trip to Thunder Bay.”
The annual guide includes information, stories, facts, and maps relating to tourist attractions in and around Thunder Bay.
Tourism throughout the COVID-19 pandemic slowed significantly all across the world and Thunder Bay was not immune.
Pepe said things started to rebound in 2022 and Thunder Bay out performed numerous cities across Canada, as the many outdoor activities were sought out by people interested in getting outdoors and getting active.
“We are looking to a full return of tourism visitation in 2023,” Pepe said. “Certainly, the industry still has a few years to recover but we do anticipate a full robust return in 2023.”
One of city’s biggest tourist attractions is Fort William Historical Park and this year it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
The upcoming celebrations and what the historical park have to offer are featured prominently in the Experience Guide, including a feature story and the cover photo of voyageurs in a birchbark canoe on the Kaministiqua River.
“The fort is a foundational attraction in our tourism ecosystem here in our community,” Pepe said. “It has welcomed millions of people from around the world and is considered one Canada’s top outdoor attractions, so it fits right in with our tourism strategy to promote Thunder Bay as Canada’s premier outdoor city.”
Fort William Historical Park general manager Patrick Morash said he was very excited to partner with Tourism Thunder Bay on the new Experience Guide and he hopes the upcoming 50th anniversary celebrations will bring large crowds back to the park.
“I think a good reflection of that is our New Year’s Eve event,” he said. “We brought back a family-focused event as a bit of a kick off to our 50th and we had more than 1,700 people here and that was a really good indication of the kind of excitement that’s in the community we hope.”
Other plans to celebrate the anniversary this year include Canada Day events, celebrations of Indigenous arts and heritage, and the return of the Great Rendezvous.
“The Great Rendezvous was central to the historic aspect of Fort William where traders came from the east and the west and got together to exchange goods for furs, so we want to rebuild that and recreate that for the entire community,” he said.
“This is really about the year of gathering again and encouraging locals to invite their family and friends to visit them in Thunder Bay this summer,” Pepe added.
The Thunder Bay Experience Guide is available at the Thunder Bay International Airport and visitor centres. It is also available online at visitthunderbay.com and will be sent out across Ontario, Manitoba, and the U.S. Midwest.
